going to take you both home. Hope we shall often meet.'

He called Miss Blossom; Batsy kissed both of her new friends. Merton
conducted the party to the cab, and settled, in spite of Tommy's
remonstrances, with the cabman, who made a good thing of it, and nodded
when told to drive away as soon as he had deposited his charges at their
door. Then Merton led Maitland upstairs and offered him a cigar.

'What do you think of it?' he asked.

'Common post-hypnotic suggestion by the governess,' said Maitland.

'I guessed as much, but can it really be worked like that? You are not
chaffing?'

'Simplest thing to work in the world,' said Maitland. 'A lot of
nonsense, however, that the public believes in can't be done. The woman
could not sit down in St. John's Wood, and "will" Tommy to come to her if
he was in the next room. At least she might "will" till she was black in
the face, and he would know nothing about it. But she can put him to
sleep, and make him say what he does not want to say, in answer to
questions, afterwards, when he is awake.'

'You're sure of it?'

'It is as certain as anything in the world up to a certain point.'

'The girl said something that the boy did not say, more gushing, about
his dead mother.'